


Champions

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gen, Magical Artifacts, POV Inanimate Object
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-31
Updated: 2008-12-31
Packaged: 2017-12-14 09:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Goblet must choose the Champions</p>
            </blockquote>





	Champions

The Goblet examined the names submitted to him. Most people thought that the Goblet wasn't sentient, but was just a charmed object. He objected to this defamation, often, to Godric's Sorting Hat, but never did anything about it. He was Slytherin's gift, after all, and it was usually better for people to think that he was inanimate.

Even fewer people knew that the Sorting Hat was not as unique as most believed. It had been Godric's contribution to the school, with the Gryffindor's ability to see the true value of people, and see where they would flourish. The Goblet was Salazar's contribution, and could best see the true flaws of people, and which ones would bend but not break when pushed to their limits.

Helga's piece, a hand mirror that had long ago disappeared from the school grounds, could see the true future of anyone and show them how to achieve it. Rowena's enchanted glasses would allow any that looked through them to see what others truly thought about themselves. They, like the four founder's swords, were all stored within a magical chamber, which both Hat and Goblet could access, and which Glasses and Mirror could reveal.

However, the Goblet had finally been pulled from its dusty corner of the Headmaster's Office, and put back to use. Done grumbling to itself, the Goblet decided to go through the Dumrstrang names first.

Anton Zarek and Dimitri Vova were easy to dismiss; they were far too interested in the dark arts, and liable to hurt an opponent. Boris Volkov wouldn't do for the same reason. Kasimir Poliakoff was too eager to please his headmaster, but didn't really want to compete. Conrad Levski might be a good choice, though a bit on the dull side.

 _Viktor Krum?_ Ah, now there would be a contestant with flair!

Chessa Dolohov was too studious, she'd never do well at the physical trials. Katarina Tomsk, on the other hand, didn't have the smarts for the intellectual challenges. Ivanya Stanislav, now she would be a wonderful competitor! But Misha Dyukarev, that boy would never survive.

The Goblet was able to breeze through the Beauxbatons entrants in much the same way. There were a handful, such as Cammi Morell and Austen Bartlett, who simply wouldn't have the drive to succeed. A few, such as Brettany Delmore and Gustave Trenton, who would try, but fail. And only a couple, such as Violetta Harcourt and Andre D'arcy, who could even really be considered. Another easy choice.

But Hogwarts… this was the home team. Far more entrants, not hand-picked by their professors beforehand. These would be interesting names to sort through. He would start with the Slytherins.

Marcus Flint simply wasn't smart enough. Edward Lestrange and Garren Montague only wanted the fame for themselves. _Draco Malfoy?_ Aside from being underage, he only wanted to show up the Potter boy, and that would never be enough to win. Naomi Ackerley might do well, but he was certain he could find someone better. Terrence Higgs was slightly smarter than Flint, but not enough to actually compete. Miles Bletchley couldn't even hit a bludger, let alone survive a dragon! And Adrian Pucey was simply unthinkable. Why would these children even have put their own names in? They had to have known what little chance they stood. Lydia Flint was even worse a choice than her brother! Pansy Parkinson was also too young, but he was impressed that she even attempted it.

Now for the Ravenclaws. He doubted he'd see as many of them: though smart enough to compete, most didn't have the drive to do so. Apollon Carrow was no exception. It was frankly a miracle had had left the library long enough to put his name in! Roger Davies was too interested in showing off to the female students: his mind wouldn't be on the tasks. Dennis Bradley was quite smart, and relatively brave. He might indeed succeed. Ah, Jocelyn and Rose Montgomery. Interesting that they would both enter. And certainly either one would do quite well as Champion. But he would have to pick one twin over the other, and that would only create resentment between them.

 _Ah well._ The Goblet sighed and resumed sorting through the names.

Only three Hufflepuffs had entered, and the Goblet looked over their names carefully. Trenton Holden was too much of a follower. He wouldn't be able to think for himself fast enough to survive the first task. Maria Chambers, however, was a decent choice. Smart, clever, loyal but a leader. She would do well. And Cedric Diggory! Leader of the Quidditch team, smart and strong. Another good contestant.

And lastly, the Gryffindors, that House that had traditionally spawned most of the Hogwarts Champions. David Fines was brave, certainly, but not smart enough. Unfortunately, Lillian Dumont was smart enough, but too reserved. Jack Sloper might do well, if he could keep his head in the game. But Kenneth Towler was a distinct possibility. Angelina Johnson, now she was a very good choice! And she would have the support of the rest of the Quidditch team. Tessa Miller was a loner in the House, and she wouldn't get the support she needed from her school. Patricia Stimpson was only competing for the money; that would never do.

 _Hermione Granger?_ Interesting. She would be the last one he would have thought to break the rules of the age line. He had expected it in the Slytherins, and had had great fun bouncing out the Weasley twins for their weak attempt to cross it. But Miss Granger? She might be a good choice. Her vast knowledge coupled with her Gryffindor bravery might actually make up for her age gap.

As expected, Hogwarts had provided him with many good choices. This would take some narrowing down. Except… The Goblet hesitated. There was one name left…

_Harry Potter?_

Now that was a name that the Goblet did not expect to see. From what the Hat had told him about the boy, Harry was determined to hide from his fame - a desire that was so uncharacteristic of either Gryffindor and Slytherin that the Goblet hadn't believed it at first.

The Goblet just couldn't believe that the boy had submitted his own name into the contest.

And The Galdunn School of Witchcraft had closed down over 500 years ago. The Goblet easily recalled the incident two nights ago, when someone had shot an object-oriented _confundus_ at him. Had he been an ordinary - in other words, weak - object, the spell might have worked.

Clearly someone wanted young Mr. Potter to compete in this contest very badly. This was more than just a prank or a friendly joke. This was … sinister. Was some dark wizard hoping that the Potter boy would break in this tournament?

The Goblet had to laugh at that thought. The boy would not break from a simple Tri-Wizard's Tournament. Potter would be tried, of course, but with his connections to the young muggle-born girl and the Weasley clan, he would be fine.

Of course, if someone had gone to all the trouble to get the boy into the tournament, they might be planning on adding their own "tasks" to the proceedings. Still, Harry Potter could take whatever they brought against him. Physical tasks would barely challenge him, and mental ones would only be hard if the Granger girl was not assisting him. Potter might bend - bend almost to breaking, even, - but he would not crack.

So, the Goblet might as well let the person who put Potter's name into the task think that their tricks had succeeded. The dark wizard would be in for a nasty shock if he thought that he could actually destroy the Potter boy with something like the Tri-Wizard's Tournament. It was settled then.

History would be broken tonight.

 

The Goblet felt the Hogwarts's Headmaster approach and shot his flames just a little bit higher, tingeing them red. It was all a part of the dramatics of the event, and this one promised to be dramatic in the extreme.

Perhaps the Durmstrang boy first.

"The champion for Durmstrang," the Goblet heard Dumbledore say, "will be Viktor Krum."

The hall burst into applause interspersed with quite a few yells, and The Goblet smirked to himself. And now the girl. Both Hogwarts boys should come at the end, he thought.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." Dumbledore announced, pulling the paper from the red flames.

The cheers were not as raucous as they had been for the first boy, but then again, he was famous. Idly, the Goblet toyed with the idea of releasing Potter's name next, just to see if he would get a bigger cheer, but that would ruin the drama he was trying so hard to build. Ah well.

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!" The hall burst into an overwhelming uproar of applause and cheers for their hometown hero. The Goblet heard Dumbledore clear his throat a few times, but he was no match for the din from Helga's house.

After an incredibly long wait, the students finally calmed down enough for the headmaster to be heard. "Excellent!" he called out, "Well we now have our three champions. I am sure …"

The Goblet ignored the rest of the headmaster's words. _Three champions, Headmaster? he thought evilly, what kind of drama would this be if there were only three champions?_ With an extra high burst of red flame, the Goblet shot out one last piece of paper.

There was a pause before the headmaster cleared his throat and then read out the last name. "Harry Potter."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a wave of whispers. They were all in for a surprise, even young Mr. Potter himself. That boy would be tormented to the extreme, pushed to the edges of his limits, but he would never break.


End file.
